Upper Colorado River Watershed Group - UCRWG

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The Upper Colorado River Watershed Group (UCRWG) promotes awareness, conservation and appreciation of the lands and streams that compose the headwaters of the Colorado River through science, education and outreach.

10/31/2026

With all the rain and snow causing flooding in southwestern Colorado, people might assume that precipitation is being evenly distributed around the state. But we are off to another slow start, and as of today we are still warm and dry with Lake Granby only 50% full. We hope the El Niño pattern can include the north central mountains, but hope doesn’t make it snow. Hope doesn’t refill reservoirs. Water managers still need to plan and prepare for less water, especially after the drought of 2026. The west is in a 20 year drought pattern with a couple of wet years sprinkled in. We need to plan our water conservation accordingly.

10/21/2026

After our worst drought year on record, Grand County water providers and managers will now have to contend with reduced flows down the Fraser River, as Denver Water decreases our flow to below the required minimum of 4 cfs. Users in all sectors didn’t conserve enough this year, so now the headwaters counties on the western slope will see our supply decreased to a tiny trickle through the winter. At least we will be able to gather empirical data on the impact that will have on our water supply, waste water treatment, water quality, and environmental impacts. So I guess there’s that.

10/13/2026

Had so much fun with the 4th graders today studying the water bugs from the leaf packs we placed in St. Louis Creek. We identified stone flies, Caddis flies, May flies and other important bugs for our riparian ecosystem. We wanted to pull the leaf packs out of the stream before the water levels were reduced to only 2 CFS starting tomorrow. Water bugs are the foundation of our water ecosystem and need a constant healthy flow to survive. We will bring updates on our stream health in the winter and spring. Wish us luck. # supportthesource

09/12/2026

In 2011 Rocky Mountain National Park built a tall fence around several acres of a former wetland. Moose and elk had decimated the Kawuneeche Valley and removed nearly all the willow. Beaver rely on willow for food and for building dams and lodges. So the beaver left and the valley dried up. Now on both sides of the park they are building more Exclosure fencing, and also building man-made beaver dams so the beaver can return and work their magic. Learn more at UCWET.org

09/09/2026

After a record low snowpack in 2026, the entire ecosystem is showing the strain. Some of our streams have run dry, our local irrigators are out of water 6 weeks early, and the plants and animals are in trouble. Hungry bears have been euthanized in record numbers as they encroach into towns and homes looking for food. The berry crop they depend on failed this year as they are trying to fatten up before hibernation. We had virtually no wild flowers in Grand County, and now the fall foliage is also affected. Low snowpack has harmed every economic sector in every season this year on the west slope, while on the Front Range most water consumers were simply asked to water their lawns a little less often. After a drought year like this one, we all need to take conservation more seriously.

08/28/2026

Northern Water will pay $30 million over 30 years to help improve the clarity of Grand Lake, after a settlement with Three Lakes Watershed Association, Grand County, the Colorado River District, the Town of Grand Lake, and the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments. It must still be signed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation before work begins in 2027. Work will include restoration projects like w**d control, aeration, and sediment removal to address water quality and clarity issues. Hopefully it will be a good start to repairing and restoring the Upper Colorado watershed.

08/20/2026

Volunteer opportunity for folks wanting to help with an electrofishing survey with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources to collect data on our fish population. It will be for about 3 hours in the morning of 9/2 at Kaibab Park in Granby. Volunteers need their own waders, polarized sunglasses, water and snacks. Learn more at our website at UCWET.org, or email [email protected]

08/07/2026

Record low snowpack, record high temperatures, early spring runoff, and pitiful monsoon rains have put our western water supply in crisis. Some towns and neighborhoods worry they may run out of water. Some ranchers with senior water rights will deplete their water 2 months early this year. If we’re lucky, it may start to snow in 3 months. There are a lot of lessons we are learning the hard way this year. Guess it’s time to start taking conservation measures seriously.

07/24/2026

Despite recent rain showers, Grand County remains in Stage 3 drought conditions. Water conservation is mandatory in some towns and strongly encouraged in others. Please continue to do your part to offset our lowest water levels in decades.

07/11/2026

Lots of fun doing hands on education with kids about mitigating pollution in our storm water. Grand County towns are in the beginning phases of treating our storm water, in order to protect the water quality in our streams. The library district is always a fantastic partner for increasing public awareness.

Address

PO Box 52
Fraser, CO
80442

Website

http://ucrwg.org/

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